Cigarette lighter



June 2,1953 v B TT 2,640,340

CIGARETTE LIGHTER I Filed Nov, 13. 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Ivvqfitor 7190/4/45 51477 by:

June 2, 1953 T. 'H. BATT I 2,640,340

I CIGARETTE LIGHTER Filed Nov. '15, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 THoMAs H, BATTPatented June 2, 1953 UNITED PATENT OFFICE CIGARETTE LIGHTER'flhomaslHallworth. Batt,..Toronto,f Ontario, Canada Application'November'13, 1950, Serial No. 195,347

4 Claims. 1

This invention relates to improvements in'flint loading and flintpressure mechanisms for pocket cigarette lighters.

"It is an object of thisinvention to-provide a lighter which has a bodycomprised'oftwo halves hinged together so 'that when new fiints areneeded, 'themain bodynee'd OnlybeOpened, and a new-flint inserted intothat opening of the ffiint tube adjacent the flint-wheel.

Another objector the present inventionl'is to provide a lighter with-acompensated spring pressure for the flintpressure mechanism.

A further object of thisinvention is toprovide a manual adjustment ofthe flint spring compression by means of aknurled' thumb screw inconjunction with a non-turning spring seat, for adjusting springpressure for fiints ."of different hardness.

A stillfurther object of this invention is to providea means inthe-flint pressure'mechanism whereby the pressure on the'flint ismaintained as the flint spring is extended due-.to the flint being worndown.

With these and other-objects in view, the invention generally comprisesasubstantially rectangular lighter body comprised of two separablecomponents, a flint-wheel on one component, aflint pressure mechanismincludinga flint tube for carrying a flint in the othercomponentand-positioned-to "cause a flint in'the flint tube to engage the flintwheel when the components are assembled. A latchisprovided for.maintaining the components in assembled relationship, the latch beinoperatively related to'the flint pressure mechanism, to cause release ofthe latter when the'la'tch is actuatedfor separation of'the twocomponents.

These and other features will be app'arent'by reference to the followingdetailed specification taken in conjunction with the accompanying"drawings.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure '1 is 'a perspective view of the lighter with the cover opened;

Figure '2 is a-perspective view of the "lighter, showing'the main bodyopened -ready for the insertion of a new flint and particularlyillustrating the two main components of the body;

"Figure3 is a side view'ofth'e lighter with part of the outer wallremoved, showing the flintpressure mechanism;

Figure 4 is a top View of the lighter with ,part of the cover removed;

"Figure5 is a top view of the lighter withthe I twomainparts open;

Figurefi is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the'line 6-6of'Figure 3;

Figure '7 is a fragmentary perspective view'of a recess whichaccommodates the latch which keeps'the two parts of the lighterbodytogether;

Figure 8 is a fragmentary perspective View of the lower end of thelatching lever.

"Referring to the drawings, A indicates'a lighter body comprisedof'two-main components, B and C. Component 3 comprises a conventionalfuel tank 10, flllable by unscrewing the slotted screw I-l. On the topportion of component B is a conventional flint wheel 12,co-axiallymounted with the knurled wheel I 3, which protrudes slightlyfrom the corner of the lighter, and may be easily rotated by the thumbof the user.

Component C comprises a hollow body, which holds the flint pressuremechanism I4, a flint tube i5, and a hinged cover It.

Components B and Care hingedly connected to each other along one edge ofthe-body as at H, and are'held in a closed position bylatch means l8operatively related by lever l'ta'to flint pressure mechanism I 4. Thuslatching lever Illa is pivotally connected to component C as at H! andhas a lug lfia that enters a recess 20' located in component B (see alsoFigure 7). This lever is'normally held in the locked position by meansof the coil spring '2 I. Lever I M extends upwardly so that its extremeend 22'which liesadjacent the flint tube It can be pushed rearwardly bythe users finger, causing lug Isa to be free of the recess 28, thusallowing the two main components B and C tobe opened. The lever la is soconstructed that thelower end 23 embodies releasable means in the formof a finger 24 (see Figure 8) which extends into-an annular groove 25 inthe screw 26 for maintaining the latter flint pressure adjusting meansand thus the flint pres- :sure mechanism in a position of adjustment thetwo "components B- and C to be opened.

Referring now to the flint pressure mechanism Hi, the pressure adjustingmeans comprise, the screw 26 disposed in threaded engagement with theactuating sleeve .21, which latter is formed wi'th=a laterallyproiectinglug. iii/entering. the vertical slot 29 formed in the component C. Itwill be obvious therefore that when the screw 26 is rotated, theactuating sleeve will be caused to rise or fall depending on whether anincrease or decrease of pressure on the flint is required. The 6 upperend of the actuating sleeve has a pin 30 that pivotally mounts a cup 3i,which receives a suitable coil spring 32. The upper end of this coilspring presses against a collar 33 which is pivotally mounted to theforce translating member 01' rocker bar 34 by means of the pin 35. Thecollar 33 has at its centre a rigidly mounted bayonet pin 36, whichhelps to maintain the coil spring 32 in a straight line. The rocker bar34 is pivotally mounted as at 31 and has a bifurcated end 38 whichpivotally receives a flint pressure member or bar 39. The upperbifurcated end 38 and the flint pressure member or bar 39 are held insubstantially a straight line by the shoulders 42 formed inside thewalls of the component C. This bar has a slot 40 which allows movementof the pin 4!, while the bifurcated end of the rocker arm travels in anarcuate path.

Due to the fact that the pivotal pin 3'! is cated to one side of acentre line which passes through the pins 35 and 4|, it will be evidentthat as the flint wears and decreases in length, the rocker bar willrotate in a clockwise direction, causing an increase of leverage betweenpins 31 and 35, which is consequently transferred at right angles bymeans of the flint pressure member or bar 39 to the flint 39a. Thus, itwill be seen that as the compressed spring is slowly released due to thewear on the flint, the arcuate path of the rocker bar compensates forthis decrease and maintains a constant predetermined pressure on theflint.

A stop 43 in the form of a pin inserted transversely of the component Cis provided to prevent the flint pressure member or bar 39 from beingfully retarded from the flint tube 15.

Referring now to Figures 3, 4 and 5, the upper portion of component Chas a recess 44 with shoulders 45 that accommodate the pin 48 which inturn hingedly mounts a cover 6 for the lighter. This cover is held inthe open and closed position by means of a leaf spring 48 which ismounted to the top surface of component C by the screw 49. The leafspring 48 presses upwardly against a portion 50 on the barrel of thehinge, which projects from the pin 48 at substantially right angles tothe top surface of the cover. This is a known type of spring loadedcover having a snuifer and needs no further description.

It will be apparent that I have provided a particularly simple lighter,which achieves the objects outlined. This lighter requires a minimum ofattention in the event that the old flint requires removal. A new flintmay be inserted which may be taken from a reservoir of flints as shownby the numeral 5 I.

It will be appreciated that many modifications will be apparent toskilled persons, not only in the arrangement of the parts, but also inthe particular components chosen for carrying out the desired functions.It is not intended therefore that the illustrations herein should beinterpreted in any sense which would limit the arrangement of thestructure, other than that indicated by the scope of the followingclaims.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. The combination in a pocket lighter of a lighter body formed of twomain separable com- 75 ponents, a flint wheel on one component, a flintpressure mechanism including a flint tube for carrying a flint in theother component and positioned to cause a flint in the flint tube toengage the flint wheel when the components are assembled, latchmechanism for maintaining the components in assembled relationship, andflint pressure release means forming a part of said latch mechanism forreleasing said flint pressure mechanism prior to the separation of saidseparable components when said latch is actuated to separate saidcomponents, a force translating member, a pin pivotally mounting saidmember and disposed adjacent an extended line of the loaded axis of saidspring, means connecting said member and the flint pressure member tocause the latter to move when said member is rotated about said pin bysaid spring, said spring being disposable on expansion and movement ofsaid pressure member such that its axis is substantially displaced froma'f position adjacent said pin whereby the moment arm of action of saidspring is increasable as said pressure moves during wear of the flint.

2. The combination in a pocket lighter of a lighter body formed of twomain separable components, a flint Wheel on one component, a flintpressure mechanism including a flint tube for carrying a flint in theother component and positioned to cause a flint in the flint tube toengage the flint wheel when the components are assembled, latchmechanism for maintaining the components in assembled relationship, andflint pressure release means forming a part of said latch mechanism forreleasing said flint pressure mechanism prior to the separation of saidseparable components when said latch is actuated to separate saidcomponents, said flint pressure mechanism comprising a flint pressuremember, a spring, means at one end of spring for applying the springpressure thereof to said pressure member, a spring supporting membersupporting the other end of said spring, an adjusting screw threadedinto said support member, said flint pressure release means engagingwith said screw to retain it against axial movement but allowingrotational movement thereof to adjust the compression of said spring.

3. The combination in a pocket lighter of a lighter body formed of twomain separable components, a flint wheel on one component, a flintpressure mechanism including a flint tube for carrying a flint in theother component and positioned to cause a flint in the flint tube toengage the flint wheel when the components are assembled, latchmechanism for maintaining the components in assembled relationship, andflint pressure release means forming a part of said latch mechanism forreleasing said flint pressure mechanism prior to the separation of saidseparable components when said latch is actuated to separate saidcomponents, said flint pressure mechanism comprising a flint pressuremechanism passage in the flint pressure mechanism compartment, 2. springin said passage, means at one end of said spring for transmitting thepressure thereof to the flint, means slidable in said passage forsupporting the other end of said spring and including a lug forretaining the same against rotation, and an adjusting screw engagingsaid slidable means, said flint pressure release means retaining saidscrew against axial movement but allowing rotational movement thereof.

4. The combination in a pocket lighter of a lighter body formed of twomain separable components, a flint wheel on one component, a flint 5pressure mechanism including a flint tube for carrying a flint in theother component and po sitioned to cause a flint in the flint tube toengage the flint wheel when the components are assembled, latchmechanism for maintaining the components in assembled relationship, andflint pressure release means forming a part of said latch mechanism forreleasing said flint pressure mechanism prior to the separation of saidseparable components when said latch is actuated to separate saidcomponents, said flint pressure mechanism comprising a flint pressuremember, a spring, means in the form of a pivotal rocker bar having apair of arms, one of which is connected to one end of said spring, theother of which is connected to the flint pressure member, a springsupporting member supporting the other end of said spring, and anadjusting screw 6 threaded into said support member, said flint pressurerelease means retaining said screw against axial movement but allowingrotational movement thereof to adjust the compression of said spring.

THOMAS HALLWORTH BATT.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

